In Marxism, the base (material/economic conditions) is what the superstructure (social/cultural/political conditions) is generated by. Societies organise themselves around the resources available and the division of labour required to utilise them. Marxism's social observations are all rooted in that mediation of the material environment.
Just to add onto this for completeness's sake: the superstructure is created by the base and also the remaining superstructure left over from the previous base. And don't forget the dialectic between base and superstructure!
I think I get it, so social science is like theoretical physics?
In Marxism, the base (material/economic conditions) is what the superstructure (social/cultural/political conditions) is generated by. Societies organise themselves around the resources available and the division of labour required to utilise them. Marxism's social observations are all rooted in that mediation of the material environment.
Just to add onto this for completeness's sake: the superstructure is created by the base and also the remaining superstructure left over from the previous base. And don't forget the dialectic between base and superstructure!